Feds: Ohio man becomes 1st in nation convicted under new law targeting AI-generated images
By Fletcher Keel
Click here for updates on this story
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WLWT) — An Ohio man is believed to be the first person in the nation convicted under the Take It Down Act, a law that prohibits the publication of nonconsensual intimate images and AI-generated forgeries, according to the Department of Justice.
James Strahler II, 37, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to cybercrimes involving both real and AI-generated sexually explicit images, as well as threats of violence against multiple victims, officials said.
According to prosecutors, Strahler installed more than 24 AI platforms and more than 100 web-based AI models on his phone. Officials said he used phone calls, voicemails, text messages and online posts to harass victims.
Strahler pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse, and publication of digital forgeries. The DOJ said his conviction on the digital forgery charge falls under the Take It Down Act.
Enacted in 2025, the Take It Down Act prohibits the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions and AI-generated forgeries.
“We believe Strahler is the first person in the United States to be convicted under the Take It Down Act,” U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in a press release. “We will not tolerate the abhorrent practice of posting and publicizing AI-generated intimate images of real individuals without consent. And we are committed to using every tool at our disposal to hold accountable offenders like Strahler, who seek to intimidate and harass others by creating and circulating this disturbing content.”
Officials said Strahler sent harassing messages to at least six victims, all adult women, from December 2024 through June 2025. The messages included nude images of the victims, both real and AI-generated.
In one case, officials said Strahler used AI to create pornographic videos depicting a victim engaging in sexual acts with her father. The video was then distributed to the victim’s co-workers.
Prosecutors said Strahler also posted AI-generated obscene images of children online, using the faces of boys from his community.
Authorities said Strahler created more than 700 images of real victims and animated people and posted them to a website dedicated to child sexual abuse. An additional 2,400 images and videos on his phone were flagged as depicting nudity, morphed child sexual abuse material or violence.
Strahler’s criminal conduct was first reported to Hilliard police and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office before being referred to the FBI. He was arrested on federal charges in June 2025.
Strahler will be sentenced at a later date.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.